The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
When you are out shopping or wandering today, the more unusual your find, the more you'll absolutely have to call it your own.
That goes particularly for arts and crafts, but maybe also for people who happen to possess qualities you're fond of.
Before you get too involved, be sure there is more connecting you than just one shared cause or opinion.
Kindred spirits are great to have around, but if you're after a long-term relationship, there needs to be a bit more to it.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Erlangen, Bayern, Germany

Paris, Ile-De-France, France,

Palermo, Sicilia, Italy

Niteroi, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland

Barauri, Pais Vasco, Spain

Hyeres, Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur, France

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia

London, England, United Kingdom

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Gothenburg, Vastra Gotaland, Sweden

Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Blackpool, England, United Kingdom

Calcutta, West Bengal, India

as well as Wales, Montenegro, Panama, and the Unites States in such cities as Hilo, Pharr, Elk River, Westminister and more

Today is Wednesday, April 7, the 97th day of 2010.

There are 268 days left in the year.

Today In History April 7

Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:

International Beaver Day

National Day of Hope

No Housework Day

and

World Health Day

Local Hospitality

Local Hospitality

Ex-Checkers player charged with first-degree murder

Grand jury indicts hockey player Bogdan Rudenko in the death of a man in Stallings last year.

Rudenko

A Union County grand jury has indicted former Charlotte Checkers hockey player Bogdan Rudenko on a first-degree murder count in the death of a man in Stallings last December.
County District Attorney John Snyder said he intends to file a motion today for a hearing where he will announce whether he is seeking the death penalty for Rudenko. That hearing will be in the next two weeks, Snyder said. The indictment was handed up Monday.
Rudenko, 32, of south Charlotte, was indicted on one count of murder in the death of Yuriy Anatolevich Kharitonov, also known as Yuriy Anatolevich Kharutokov.
The 32-year-old victim, who had no permanent address, was found in the woods near an auto body shop in the 13600 block of East Independence Boulevard. Police had responded to a call about a break-in at the shop, Alexis Automotive. Kharitonov died of a gunshot wound from a handgun, according to police.
Authorities have described Rudenko and Kharitonov as associates but have not discussed a motive. Both were from the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.
Rudenko was arrested Christmas morning in Colorado. He was returned to North Carolina last month after deciding he no longer would fight extradition, and is being held without bond in Union County Jail.
Rudenko's attorney, Joe VonKallist, declined to comment.
Rudenko played for the Checkers during part of the 2004-05 season. His 18-year minor league career was spent with 14 teams, mostly in North America. He last played for a team during the 2008-09 season. Kharitonov played minor league hockey for five seasons in Kazakhstan and Russia between 1998 and 2008.

Habits that promote good sleep

Habits that promote good sleep

These tips can help you get the rest you need, even when sleep won’t come. 

Soothing beverage recipe 

Also: 

• Overcome insomnia
• Foods for good sleep
• Relaxing exercises

13-year-old will attempt to climb Everest

13-year-old will attempt to climb Everest

If Jordan Romero succeeds, he'll be the youngest to conquer the world's highest mountain.

Peaks he has scaled 

Also: 

• Sir Edmund Hillary's ashes
• World's tallest peaks
• Machu Picchu reopens

Sports Fun

US Rivers and Streams Heating Up

Photo of Delaware River via eudaimon

A new study by researchers at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and published in Yale 360 shows that the ocean isn't the only body of water with a temperature on the hike. America's rivers and streams are also experiencing temperature rise, from the Colorado to the Potomac, the Delaware to the Hudson, 40 rivers and streams were tested with half showing significant long-term warming trends. And the biggest warming is happening near urban areas, showing that the urban heat island effect is being felt on a profound level.

Article continues: US Rivers and Streams Heating Up - Temperatures Rising Annually

Scientific Minds Want To Know

Scientific Minds Want To Know

'Spectacular' komodo cousin is big as a man and has two penises, biologists say

Solar plane in first test flight A solar-powered plane prototype takes to the air for the first time in its first step towards a round-the-world journey. Record solar plane's first 'hop'

Interesting In General

Interesting In General

Shark's amazing deep-sea dive

A great white shark plunges 600 feet deeper than any of its kind has been known to go.  

Into another world 

Also: 

• Find great white shark
• Journalist's shark dive
• Elephants move like 4x4s

Animaniacs

Animaniacs take on Star Trek and the Enterprise will never be the same

FBI's 'Wanted' ads go big, really big

FBI's 'Wanted' ads go big, really big

The newest tool in federal crime-fighting can be more productive than 10 agents. 

Now used in 40 states  

Also: 

• FBI Most Wanted list
• Billboard blasts pants
• Feds take to Facebook

Daily Comic Relief

How 50 Years of Tax Cuts Benefited the Wealthiest Americans

And screwed the rest of us.

Shifting Responsibility 

Over the last half-century, America’s wealthiest taxpayers have seen their tax outlays, as a share of income, drop enormously, by as much as two-thirds for the highest-income grouping the IRS tracks. Meanwhile, the share of their household income that middle class Americans pay in federal taxes has increased slightly.
Our nation has borrowed money to pay for the tax cuts that have gone and continue to go to America’s wealthy, a reality that will have future generations of mostly middle income taxpayers footing the bill — with interest — for these tax cuts.
The “Economic Recovery Tax Program” this report proposes would collect $450 billion in new revenue through tax increases only on the very wealthy. This program would also discourage financial speculation, strengthen the overall economy, and introduce greater transparency, fairness, and simplicity to the tax code.

 Full story

Report: housing foreclosures heading up again

And apparently the problem could get worse again, very quickly.
CNBC:

Yes, banks are ramping up loan modifications and ramping up short sales and ramping up deeds in lieu of foreclosure, but the plain fact is that as the systems are oiled, the loans are moving through faster, and the pig in the python is showing its face.

We won't get the numbers until next week, but sources tell me they will likely be a new monthly record.

Tens of thousands of loans have been hitting the "notice of trustee sale" bin, and that means they are coming to foreclosure.

The actual foreclosure numbers have been down recently because of all the modification efforts, but as we see more loans not qualifying for modifications and more loans defaulting on modifications, the foreclosure numbers rise.

It's The Economy Stupid

It's The Economy Stupid

4 great real estate deals that won't last

Home prices have seen dramatic drops, but they won't stay this low forever.  

What about mortgage rates? 

Also: 

• American dream still alive
• High-end homes cheaper
• Current mortgage rates

Little printer trick can save big money

By changing a default option, one school expects to save up to $10,000 on ink and toner this year. 

Why fonts matter 

Also: 

• Serif vs. sans-serif
• Money lessons for kids
• iPad's costs add up fast

Bank of mom and dad hit hard by downturn

Even wealthy parents are having trouble helping kids with college costs and down payments.  

'It all fell to pieces' 

Also: 

• Higher education bargains
• Cost of having children
• Trade school downsides

More Job Seekers Opting For Cosmetic Procedures

In his 10 years as facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Steven Dayan has had no shortage of patients in his downtown Chicago office. But these days, Dr. Dayan says more and more are looking for an edge in the challenging job market.
“A good 10 to 15 percent of my patients who come in now are requesting treatments in order to make them do better in the workplace,” said Dr. Dayan.
Dr. Dayan says his patients range from CEOs to receptionists to school teachers, and especially sales people. David Wilk, 27, is one of them.
“I didn’t want my nose to be the center of my thoughts during an interview or during a presentation, and with working in sales, I knew that couldn’t be a distraction, so I really wanted to take care of the situation,” said Wilk.

 More Job Seekers Opting For Cosmetic Procedures

Court overturns FCC's throttling ban against Comcast

This is a very bad thing
Full story

Comcast has won, and the FCC has lost, along with a number of public interest groups, in a court decision issued Tuesday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in a 3-0 decision, ruled that the FCC lacked the authority to enforce net neutrality.
The court threw the future of Internet regulations into doubt Tuesday with a far-reaching decision that went against the Federal Communications Commission and could even hamper the government's plans to expand broadband access in the United States.

Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe

Anti- health care reform advocate threatens to kill Democrat Senator Murray, hopes Obama is assassinated

The repugicans own this death threat.
They've escalated the rhetoric to the point where repugicans are convinced that our country is being given over to the Soviets. It's turning people into haters, and now killers. Which isn't very surprising - when you take people who are uneducated and impressionable, and a bunch of "leaders" tell them that the Democrats are dismantling "America," a number of those people snap.

In several other vulgar and profanity-laced messages left over the next week, the caller repeatedly threatened the Democratic senator's life and said he "hopes somebody kills" President Obama as well, according to portions of transcripts in the complaint.

The agent notes the timing of the threats corresponded to the passage of the health-care bill and in several of the messages, the caller "expressed his strong disapproval for the health-care reform legislation, and the fact that Senator Murray voted in support of the bill."

*****
Repugican candidate Allen West says "You've got to make the fellow scared to come out of his house".

Florida repugican candidate Allen West, a wingnut candidate, was stoking the flames of vengeful rhetoric when he told an audience of Tea Partiers that they needed to get in the face of Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) and make him scared to come out of his house. With the climate of death threats and gun-toting Tea Party activists permeating the air---his words were rather foolish at the very least.

Last night in Jupiter, Fla., repugican candidate Allen West told "tea party" activists that they needed to do more to get accountability from Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.).
"Let me tell you what you've got to do," said West, a retired lieutenant colonel. "You've got to make the fellow scared to come out of his house. That's the only way that you're going to win. That's the only way you're going to get these people's attention."
Local Democrats, who obtained a video of the speech, are piling on West for the remarks -- one in a string of combative statements he's made about Democrats. "West and his mentor Sarah Palin are shamefully stoking violent language and symbolism that threatens the safety of our leaders and public officials," Broward County Democratic Chair Mitch Ceasar said in a statement. (Palin has endorsed West.) "The hard working people of South Florida know that inciting people with extreme and violent language sometimes leads to far more violent and monstrous acts."
When I reached West, he called out Democrats for "cutting and pasting and taking out of context." He was referring, he said, to the way Klein failed to respond to his constituents, who'd been unable to meet him in his office or in town halls to talk about the health-care bill. He wasn't encouraging tea partiers to chase Klein down.

See, he's just looking for a little accountability. I think he could demand that without the fear tactics. Oh, and of course we're all part of the "New Black Panther Party," in his eyes.

"If the Democrats want to play this game, that's fine," West said. "If you look at the Code Pink folks, the SEIU, the Acorn crew -- if you look at the intimidation tactics of the New Black Panther Party, I think you'll see that the Democrats have more to answer for than the tea parties. I have not seen any tea party people carrying nightsticks outside of polling places."

Code Pink really has the repugicans scared these days. Actually, the wingnuts just need a new scapegoat to target. These pink-wearing ladies often protest Democrats as much as Repugicans and they sure are intimidating, aren't they? I'm hoping Breitbart sends in James O'Keefe to try and infiltrate the group.

Tom Coburn defends Pelosi as 'nice woman,' says FAUX News is 'biased'

From Capitol News Connection:

When discussing the short-term unemployment benefit extension that he is stalling, to the chagrin of Democrats, Coburn said he is "180 degrees in opposition" to Pelosi but that "she is a nice lady."

That comment drew boos and jeers from the crowd, but Coburn asked the crowd for calm and spoke about civility.

“Come on now. She is nice – how many of you all have met her? She’s a nice person,” Coburn said. "Let me give you a little lesson here. I hope you will listen to me. Just because somebody disagrees with you don’t [sic] mean they’re not a good person. And I want to tell you, I've been in the senate for five years and I’ve taken a lot of that, because I’ve been on the small side –- both in the repugican party and the Democrat Party."

The Oklahoma senator is seen by many as a divisive figure.

“What we have to have is make sure we have a debate in this country so that you can see what’s going on and make a determination yourself,” Coburn added and then again warned the crowd against the myths perpetrated on FAUX News.

“So don’t catch yourself being biased by FAUX News that somebody is no good. The people in Washington are good. They just don’t know what they don’t know,” Coburn said.

Coburn is not a nice guy. For him to be talking like this means that he's concerned - the repugicans are concerned - that their crazies have gone too far, too crazy. And that's great. And it's all the more reason for Democrats to push the issue even further, that the repugican party has been taken over by Teabagging extremists.

Stormy Daniels: I Am a Repugican

Adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels released the following statement Tuesday, declaring her affiliation with the repugican party. This statement is believed to be setting up Daniels' bid for U.S. Senate, running against Senator David Vitter.

"After months of careful deliberation and consult as to the true nature of my political affiliation I am ready today to declare that should I seek the office of US Senator from the great state of Louisiana that I will do so as a repugican.

"While this decision has not been an easy one, recent events regarding repugican national cabal fundraising at Voyeur, an LA based lesbian bondage themed nightclub finally tipped the scales.

"As I have said for well over a year, it is time that our government and our tax policy begin rewarding entrepreneurship and creativity again. It is time again to inspire positive risks and out-of-the-box thinking in the interest of growing a strong economy and a strong America.

"For me, this spirit can be summed up in the rnc's investment of donor funds at Voyeur.

"As someone who has worked extensively in both the club and film side of the Adult Entertainment Industry, I know from experience that a mere $1900 outlay at a club with the reputation of Voyeur is a clear indication of a frugal investment with a keen eye toward maximum return.

"And I firmly believe that it is precisely this type of creative and calculated investing that we, as taxpaying Americans, should expect not only from our political parties but from our government. The American taxpayer deserves consistent conservatives who reject wasteful spending and unwarranted government intervention in the private sector.

"As is the case with so many of my fellow Louisianans, I cannot help but recognize that over time my libertarian values regarding both money and sex and the legal use of one for the other is now best espoused by the repugican party."

*****

Why does the term Stupid Bitch suddenly come to mind?

Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods

Unambitious counterfeiter leaves fake $1s as tips

Police in Alaska say lawbreakers must be really getting desperate because someone left 13 fake $1 bills in a bar's tip jar - an unusually small denomination for the crime.

Full story

Meth lab explodes during drug raid

A New Hampshire official says a man arrested after a raid and explosion at a meth lab was wearing rubber gloves and carrying a laundry basket of chemicals when officers entered the building.

In Cop News

New York police officer who's in jail for violating probation is arrested for breaking jailhouse window

Texas deputy sentenced to 10 years for massive methamphetamine ring

Virginia police chief pleads guilty in theft and re-sale of 9mm Glock pistol

Florida deputy, corrections clerk fired, two more deputies suspended after internal affairs investigations

Wisconsin police sergeant demoted for conduct unbecoming an officer and mishandling evidence could face criminal charge

Maryland cop charged with drunk driving after wrecking police cruiser

California sheriff's department launches internal investigation after deputies enter woman's home

Granny likes her horns, refuses to have them removed

Full Story

Chinese granny Zhang Ruefang who started to grow a Devil's horn on the left side of her forehead has announced she's growing a matching horn on the left.